Guest Commentary: Why net neutrality is important to you

That’s the message each of us sends if we don’t speak up to stop an upcoming vote that would repeal internet freedom (“net neutrality”) rules that protect our access to the Internet.

If you feel trying to understand the “net neutrality” issue falls in the “too hard” bucket, let me explain it by comparing the Internet to pizza.

If you want to eat pizza at a restaurant with “pizza neutrality” rules, you order one and it arrives. You pay one price and sink your teeth in. Yum!

But if there are no “pizza neutrality” rules, things change. You ordered pepperoni? Well, without rules, the chef can serve your pizza in 5 minutes, but can serve the pepperoni 30 minutes later.

You wanted onions? The chef doesn’t approve of onions and won’t serve them.

You wanted the pizza served quickly so it’s hot? There’s an extra fee for that. And you can only have cheese the chef made, not the delicious mozzarella you want.

That’s what happens when the party who controls what is delivered to you has the power to decide what to give you, how fast to give it to you, and can charge you more for something you wanted quickly.

Back to the actual Internet and what is at risk. Most of us get online by paying a company (a “broadband provider”) a fee for DSL, cable, satellite or mobile services. They are the “tollbooth” to the Internet, and include Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, Cox and Frontier.

A federal agency, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), manages rules that govern the Internet. The FCC chairman, Ajit Pai (a former Verizon lawyer), wants to ditch current rules that protect fair access to the Internet. He will call for a vote on Dec. 14 to repeal the rules that have protected our open access since 2015.

What are the rules Chairman Pai wants to end? The FCC Open Internet rules require open, uninhibited access to lawful online content. They include:

1. Blocking is prohibited: Internet providers like Comcast may not block access to lawful content, applications, or services.

2. Throttling is prohibited: Internet companies can’t deliberately target certain internet information and cause you to receive it more slowly.

3. Paid prioritization is prohibited: Internet companies can’t favor some internet traffic in exchange for payment, and are banned from giving priority to their own content.

If these rules are repealed then our Internet providers can choose what to deliver fast or slow or at all (meaning they can censor what you get). And they can charge more to give you fast Internet.

Who wants to end these “open Internet” rules? Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, and others who sell Internet access and technology. Repealing the rules will benefit these corporations.

You can be a “5-minute activist” and have your voice heard. Here’s how:

Call the FCC (202-418-1000). Leave a message with your name and where you live. Say “I oppose repealing net neutrality.”